A 22-year-old woman in India, initially believed to have died in a road accident, was allegedly murdered by her father and brother in what police suspect was an ‘honour’ killing.
The case came to light during the investigation of a hit-and-run incident in which the woman was reportedly travelling as a pillion rider when the motorcycle was struck by a speeding vehicle.
The victim, identified as Sofia, worked as a receptionist at a hospital. Police said she was allegedly killed by her father, Mohmand Farooq, and her 38-year-old brother, Mohmand Habil, after a video featuring her with a man went viral. The accused allegedly attempted to conceal the killing by making it appear that Sofia had died in a road accident.
The incident took place nearly a month ago and came under scrutiny after investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding Sofia’s death.
On the night of August 12, Farooq and Habil allegedly took Sofia out on a motorcycle ride. According to investigators, Habil later turned onto an isolated dirt track near Gheljipura village, where he allegedly struck Sofia on the head three times with a hammer. The father and son then allegedly moved her body to the main road and damaged the motorcycle to create the impression that it had been involved in a high-speed crash.
Habil subsequently approached the authorities and claimed that a speeding vehicle had rammed their motorcycle from behind near the Gheljipura intersection. He told officials that the collision had left Sofia with serious head injuries, while he suffered bruises in the incident.
Sofia was taken to Sola Civil Hospital for treatment, but she succumbed to her injuries the following day.
During the probe, police allegedly found that Sofia’s father and brother had been angered by a video involving her that surfaced online around three months earlier. Investigators said the two feared that the video would bring social embarrassment to the family and allegedly conspired to kill her in an attempt to protect their reputation.
Police further alleged that Habil concealed an iron hammer inside his trousers before leaving with Sofia and their father. Investigators believe the father and son then carried out the alleged murder before staging the scene to make it appear as a road accident.
Both suspects have been taken into custody and are facing murder charges as the investigation continues.
